HELP TOPIC: Fraudulent Transactions - O2 Prepay Slough

[Anonymous]

Question: I have received my debit/credit card statement and there is a transaction on there which is showing "O2 Prepay Slough" and I haven't done it! What is it for?

Answer: Someone has obtained your card details (and not from O2!) and has used them to buy a O2 top-up.

The reason it has got O2 Slough on your debit/credit card statement is not because the fraud is originating there but is because Slough is where O2's HQ is and all top-up payments are processed there.

When a top-up is bought through one of the automated systems (for example: the top-up line or a web top-up), a number of security questions will be asked and would need to be answered correctly before the top-up is allowed.

If the security questions are answered correctly, then O2 assumes that it is you making the transaction as they haven't got any way in knowing that it isn't you and after all, the security questions have been answered correctly.

This is why it is vitally important to ensure that your card is 100% secure all of the time and this includes not borrowing your card to a family member or friend so that they can make a one-off top-up as your card will then be registered on their O2 Pay & Go account and it would then be easier for them if they wanted to do another top-up in the future.

Please do NOT contact O2 Customer Services as there is absolutely NOTHING that they can do for you. What you need to do is contact your card issuer and report it as fraud and they will then liaise with O2's Fraud and Security Team on your behalf.

Note: Only the card issuer can liaise with O2's Security and Fraud Team and not yourself.

It is then the responsibility of the card issuer to give you a refund and not O2.

Please also have a look at the site here, which gives you very useful information about how to protect yourself against fraud and identity theft.

[Anonymous]

I have just had two lots of £15 go out of my Halifax account to O2 prepay, one on the 23rd and one on the 24th. Halifax are treating it as fraud and have said I should get my money back.
The guy at Halifax told me all the fraudsters need is your card number, expiry date and 3 digit code on the back of your card to do this (no address, password etc.) He did also mention that they were in discussions with O2 to try to get them to tighten up their security!
The possibilities for where my card details were pinched are endless. Someone could have taken my card, then put it back in my purse (very unlikely) or overheard me paying for something by phone and reading out my card details (again, unlikely). So the details were probably copied by someone at a company where I have paid for something (shop, over the phone, online) so it could have been anywhere. Though I'm sure I haven't bought anything from anywhere particularly dodgy!
So shredding my documents, not giving my card to anyone else and all the other things they advise you not to do wouldn't have made the slightest bit of difference in this case.

[perksie]

Hi Lennieb, don't worry they probably didn't have access to your card at all.
That's the scary thing, my card was done for £3900 some years ago and it had never left my sight.
The card issuer simply replaced the card and the missing money very quickly, and I never found out how it was done.
My theft was nothing to do with O2 by the way, as the money was spent in 3 well known high street retailers.

[Anonymous]

The bloke from the Halifax is wrong. As well as the details from the card they need your address. All top-ups are subject to authorisation by the card companies.
So its definitely the case that people need to keep a firmer grip on their personal information.

[adamtemp64]

seams it is happening again perhaps this thread needs to be a sticky

[Anonymous]

On August 2, 2010 I was in London and bought one iPad, but i lost iPad on August 23 and called O2 to cancel the card pay and go.
They told me it was canceled.
Yesterday appeared to me an account of £ 80 to pay the credit card.
How can I resolve this? Once I canceled the card communications.
Communicated the lost to police.

[Anonymous]

Hi, would this affect anyone using an atm to top up?

[perksie]

Hi, would this affect anyone using an atm to top up?

This is nothing to do with how you top up, this is crooks finding out by means unknown enough details to be able to use your card fraudulently.
There are various means by which cards can be read by supermarket machines and atms being tampered with ie readers and cameras fitted to get the card number and pin.
As long as you inform your card issuer as soon as you notice any unauthorised activity, they will stop the card for you.
In my case the card never left my possession and I still don't know how the fraud was done.

[Anonymous]

I seem to have the same problem. I'm not very good with talking on the phone so could someone tell me exactly what to say when I ring my bank? my bank is Halifax

[perksie]

I seem to have the same problem. I'm not very good with talking on the phone so could someone tell me exactly what to say when I ring my bank? my bank is Halifax

You tell them that money has been taken from your account without you doing it.
In other words by someone else.
They will cancel the card and issue you with a new one, and the money should be returned to the account.
Let us know how you get on.

[jonsie]

Just tell them you have fraudulent transactions on your account.You will need to point out which ones are fraudulent and they will transfer you to the fraud department. As perksie says, they will put a stop on the card, issue you with a new card and most importantly, they will refund you for the transactions.
Only downside is that you will be without a card for up to seven working days.